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Full Idea
Russell's solution (in the theory of types) consists of restricting the principle that every predicate has a set as its extension so that only meaningful predicates have sets as their extensions.
Gist of Idea
Russell's proposal was that only meaningful predicates have sets as their extensions
Source
report of Bertrand Russell (Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy [1919]) by Alex Orenstein - W.V. Quine Ch.3
Book Ref
Orenstein,Alex: 'W.V. Quine' [Princeton 2002], p.58
A Reaction
There might be a chicken-and-egg problem here. How do you decide the members of a set (apart from ostensively) without deciding the predicate(s) that combine them?
| 8625 | What physical facts could underlie 0 or 1, or very large numbers? [Frege on Mill] |
| 8469 | Russell's proposal was that only meaningful predicates have sets as their extensions [Russell, by Orenstein] |
| 21693 | Russell's antinomy challenged the idea that any condition can produce a set [Quine] |
| 9406 | A class is natural when everybody can spot further members of it [Quinton] |
| 9984 | We can have a series with identical members [Tait] |
| 17837 | Zermelo allows ur-elements, to enable the widespread application of set-theory [Hallett,M] |
| 8755 | Maddy replaces pure sets with just objects and perceived sets of objects [Maddy, by Shapiro] |
| 17824 | The master science is physical objects divided into sets [Maddy] |
| 9571 | ZFU refers to the physical world, when it talks of 'urelements' [Chihara] |
| 9642 | A flock of birds is not a set, because a set cannot go anywhere [Brown,JR] |